


Silent Ninjas

by KawaiiNinja



Category: A Quiet Place (Movies - Krasinski), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: American Sign Language, Angst, Based on A Quiet Place (Movies), Character Death, Comfort, Movie: A Quiet Place (2018), alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27742171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiNinja/pseuds/KawaiiNinja
Summary: If they hear you, they hunt you.It all started with a sound. Sound. Was what flipped the world upside down. Now the world has been invaded by these "Death Angels."A family of five has been forced to leave their lair, along with their friends and everything they had. Though they must live by one rule, to never make a sound, not even the slightest whisper, or death is brought upon them.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. 165 Days

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own TMNT2012, nor the film: "A Quiet Place" by director John Krasinki. 
> 
> NOTE: Italics are used to signify that someone is communicating through sign. There will be no quotations included ("").

There was a silent sigh, as a green hand began to write down his words upon a small tan page.

**_"It's been 165 days since the world changed forever. It almost feels like it was just yesterday was when I was laughing and eating pizza with my brothers, it was when disaster struck. News of monsters invading the city began to spread all across the news. They came for everyone, anyone who made a sound, leaving none alive._ **

**_And soon, they even found us. We were forced to leave the lair, leaving everything behind. I recall watching my favorite show, Crognard. Oh how I miss it... and the taste of pizza... and Ice Cream Kitty... my beloved kitty who was killed in that massacre, along with several of our friends._ **

**_We couldn't escape in the Shellraiser, as the monsters would certainly follow the sound of the car's engines. We had to run on foot. Sensei told us that we had to run away someplace far away, and safe from these horrible creatures. But, no where was safe. The world wasn't safe. We had been running non-stop for several days. We had to live on our own back at the farmhouse. It actually belongs to April, since she suggested that it was the best place for us to reside. And that's when we had to live in silence, otherwise we would be killed._ **

**_We had all suffered greatly from the apocalypse, including me. That attack in the lair, I barely survived if it weren't for my brothers. I remembered the hissing noises, erupting into my ears, claws clasped around my throat. Then blinding pain, my head was slammed hard, so hard that it felt like I had cracked my skull. And I was never the same again. Sound was dead to me, my world was silent. I could tell that my brothers and Sensei were devastated by my horrible incident._ **

**_We had to sign to each other, since none of us could talk, nor say any sound. And I suppose it helped, learning to sign since I couldn't even hear. Yet, Donnie was sedulous. He promised me that he would invent a device that would allow me to hear again. Even after many failed attempts, he still keeps trying. Though I always kept telling my brothers that I was nothing but a lost cause. But they told me otherwise, that I was not. Yet, even though they tell me that, I still feel worthless. How could I ever tell if another one of those vicious monsters was chasing after me, or one of my brothers or Sensei!? I wouldn't hear a thing, and perhaps it would even bring me down to my own doom._ **

**_And even if this fallen world could still be saved, I would never be able to live normally again. I wouldn't be able to listen to Crognard, the sound of laughter or even hear my brothers' voices. Those sounds I knew, were only memories now. I never appreciated how much I could hear, until I had forever lost it."_ **

A few tears hit the paper as the turtle sniffled. He wiped at his eyes, folding up his journal. His brothers had suggested that he write his feelings in his journal, in order to cope with his dark thoughts and traumatizing memories. Mikey lifted his gaze, watching as April and Casey began to till the field of corn. The sun was high in the azure blue sky, still broad daylight.

A hand touched his shoulder, as Mikey tilted his head to see who it was. It was Donnie. He began to sign with his hands. _Leo,_ Donnie did Leo's name sign, an 'L' on the upper cheek bone. It was easier rather than fingerspelling Leo, although sometimes they'd finger spell each other's names. Leo's sign name was higher since he was the eldest of the four. Raph was the letter 'R' in the cheek, below the cheek bone. The letter was the second finger crossed over the first. Donnie's was 'd' on the chin, and Mikey's was the letter 'm' below the chin. It was more provocative this way, knowing the order of age between the brothers as well. As for Master Splinter they signed an 'S' on the forehead for Sensei, and 'Sp' for signing Splinter.

 _Wants_ , Donnie continued with making a grasping motion with both hands, the sign for want. _Go_ , Donnie pointed outward. _Store_ , he clasped all fingers together above his head, shaking them. _With_ , he did thumbs up pressing the knuckles together. _Us_. He finished, motioning with his hand that he was talking about all of them. _Sensei says we need food._ He added the last part, signing an 'S' with 'say' swiggling his fingers in front of the mouth, and 'we' again with 'need' and 'food' fingers clasped together and tapping his lips.

 _K_ , Mikey signed the letter, nodding his head. Donnie smiled at him as he stood up. The youngest trailed back into the farmhouse to put away his journal. His three brothers were waiting outside.

 _April_ , Donnie signed the letter 'Ap' to signify her sign name and Casey's with 'Ca.' _You guys stay here, make sure nothing happens while we're gone._

Casey nodded his head as April formed a fist with her right hand, nodding it. The sign for yes. Mikey watched as his brothers turned to face Sensei.

 _Ready_? Leo shook two 'r's in front of him.

 _Come my sons,_ Sensei signed, motioning them to follow him. They all did, walking quietly towards the nearest town. Leo began to sign that they needed to be quiet, more so this time since they'd be in a less secluded area.

Donnie nodded his head, adding that perhaps he could find some more machinery parts. For he still wanted to create a device that would allow Mikey to hear.

 _You've been trying for months, D_ , Mikey sagged his shoulders, showing his brother that it was no use. _Like you said, I may be completely deaf. Nothing will work on me._

 _I'm not giving up,_ Donnie added, shaking his head. Mikey could feel him grasp his shoulder gently. Mikey couldn't help but sigh. The only way they could sigh was let out their breath, and not make a loud sound. _I promised you that I will help you._

Mikey closed his eyes briefly. He did help already with learning to sign, since Donnie was practically the one who taught them all this way of communicating without using sound. It was the only way they could survive. Making any sound would result in death. But yet, Mikey could tell that Donnie could still see through him. He could see just how desperate Mikey missed hearing.

Mikey didn't reply, only letting Donnie wrap an arm around his shoulders. The five of them continued their walk through the woods and neared the closest town.


	2. Innocent Incident

_We go in silently_ , Leo beckoned with his hand. The five of them had finally made it to the nearest town. Posters hung everywhere on the billboards, news about those who were taken.

 _All we need is food, and medication_ , Splinter signed. _Then we meet back here in this spot._ Mikey nodded his head as his brothers began to disperse throughout the store that they entered. He felt a rough hand brushing against his shoulder.

 _Don't ya dare make a sound,_ Leo glared at him, a serious expression on his face. _Otherwise you'll be killed._

Mikey held a thumbs up as he received the message. He could see Raph pointing at his eyes and then at him. A simple gesture: I'm watching you. The youngest rolled his eyes, huffing as he passed Donnie who was signing something about machinery parts with Master Splinter, while Leo went down the aisle full of medications and prescriptions.

Some movement caught Mikey's eye, as he followed it. In the corner stood a little boy who seemed to be drawing on the floor with marker. He lifted his head, eyes widening at the sight of Mikey.

Mikey held a finger to his mouth in a Shhhh motion, signaling for the boy to be quiet. He knelt down as he began to communicate. _Where's your family?_

The boy pointed to the next aisle. _You a real turtle?_ Mikey grinned at this, nodding his head.

_A ninja turtle._

_Awesome!_

_So a rocket huh?_

_It's the way I'm going to get my family out of here,_ the boy replied, grinning widely. The orange clad turtle froze. He didn't respond to that, watching as the little brother-haired boy stood up. The boy climbed onto a stool reaching high over him. _Rocket._

The freckled turtle sighed. He reached above him grasping the said rocket that the little boy wanted. He handed him the device as the boy became happy. Mikey stepped back, smiling at the sight of the little boy moving the rocket around in the air.

 _No!_ Mikey had to step away as a man appeared, tearing the rocket toy from the little boy's grasp. He was signing angrily as Mikey stepped back into the shadows, feeling a hand grasping him.

 _Mikey! What are you doing!? We're about to leave!_ It was Donnie holding a bag full of metal and machinery parts.

 _Okay, I'm coming._ Mikey watched as the little boy left sadly, leaving behind the toy he wanted. The freckled terrapin nabbed the airplane rocket, sneaking it out from the store. The five of them walked past the little family as Mikey nudged the boy's side gently. He handed him the airplane, immediately brightening the little guy's mood.

_Thank you!_

Nodding his head, Mikey followed his family. He could see the boy skipping quietly with his little gang, the two of them following behind the turtles and towards the bridge. They were used to seeing bizarre creatures around, including mutants. And they knew that they couldn't scream whatsoever.

At some point, Mikey had trailed behind to walk alongside the boy. His family didn't seem to mind, nor Mikey's for that matter. _You like the rocket?_

 _It's the best!_ The boy moved it about in the air, pressing against a button as blue and red lights began to flash on it. Lifting his gaze, that's when Mikey saw how everyone gave him and the boy horrified expressions. The female woman had her hands clamped on her mouth.

 _MIKEY! MICHELANGELO!_ His entire family practically signed his name in a screaming hand matter. Everything was a blur to Mikey in that moment. His brothers running towards him, Raphael lunging through the air like a viper. The hothead slammed him against the ground, a hand clamping tightly over Mikey's mouth as the turtle saw an enormous shadow move over them, a giant body.

Though he couldn't hear anything, sight was all Michelangelo needed. The boy was screaming, a giant demonic body grasping him. Mikey saw the ghoul-soulless white eyes staring the boy down, before opening its jaws and in one fluid motion ripped his head off. Blood sprayed through the air and Mikey could feel himself inhale sharply. Raph's grip on his mouth tightened, making sure Mikey didn't make any sound.

The monster's head was split up in several pieces, almost bark-like to the edges of a pinecone as he began to scavenge upon the now dead little boy's body. It was a blood bath, blood covered the alien's monstrous body. Torn flesh littered the ground about, along with crushed bone. It turned its head, its ears projecting outward and listening as Mikey could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. The ears retreated before the monster sped away in its rapid speed, as if it wasn't there in the first place.

The only thing that left remained was the blood littering the ground, and the boy's head that was left half eaten, the insides open. When Raph finally release his mouth, Mikey could feel his gut churning. He felt sick to his stomach. Even though these terrible monsters had poor eyesight, their hearing was advanced. Something must've happened, and Mikey certainly didn't remember himself making any sound, not that he could hear it anyway.

He felt himself being pulled up with the help of Leonardo and Donnie. The two of them hugging him tightly. They began to turn away, upon noticing the horrified and distraught expressions of the other family who had witnessed their little boy's dead.

 _We need to go back, NOW,_ Leo ordered. This time, Mikey had his two brothers on either side of him protectively, Raph keeping a hand on his arm.

 _What happened?_ Mikey signed, hoping that someone would give him an explanation. _Did I make a sound?_

 _No,_ Donnie shook his head. _That little boy's airplane. It make a loud noise._

Mikey's eyes widened in horror. _No... no way..._

 _It's not your fault, Mikey,_ Donnie frowned at him. _You didn't know, because you can't hear. And you couldn't know that it would make any sound._ But that didn't help the gut-wrenching feeling of remorse and guilt that was eating Mikey's insides. He had just witnessed an innocent child die before his very own eyes, all because he handed him a toy that made sounds.

It was all his fault... The youngest's thoughts began to swirl as the five of them returned safely to their property. Out of everyone in the group, Mikey was certainly the one in most danger. He wouldn't be able to hear if he had made any sound, or if someone else did and he wouldn't know anything about it. Why did this have to happen to him? Why did he have to be this way?

And that's when Mikey knew that he would certainly be the first to go in his family.


	3. Upcoming Procedure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep the author has some knowledge about the procedure since I've been through it myself. In the movie they just show the dad trying to put the implant on the daughter's ear like a regular hearing aid, when that's totally inaccurate. Hearing aids don't require surgery, you just put them on. Coming from someone who has an cochlear implant themself, and been through the procedure. It requires surgery at first, in order for this advanced computer to even work in processing sound to the deaf/hard of hearing person's ear. You can see how I made Donnie explain how it works. I'm smart lol xP
> 
> Anyway, hope ya liked this chap!

_Finally got the camera system operating over our property,_ Mikey could see Donnie sign. There was a giant computer screen, not to mention many others that had live videos of their property. The youngest sat on the base of the stairs in the basement of the farmhouse. Sensei, Leo, and Raph were gathered around as well. There was a giant board that Donnie had placed out. There were newspaper headings that dotted the countertops.

Leo picked up one of the expo markers and wrote on the white board in bold red letters: WEAKNESS. The leader circled it. _The Death Angels are bound to have a weakness. They have to. We can't live like this forever. We have to figure out it's weakness._

 _Well we know that they are blind and have poor eyesight, and advanced hearing,_ Donnie mused. _But so far we don't want to risk one of us getting killed._

 _We will find a way, someday my sons,_ Splinter said. _How are you doing on getting a signal, Donatello?_

_I just need to make an adjustment on this radio. And we'll take a shot at trying to communicate with other countries, and other communication centers._

Mikey sighed, leaning his chin into his palm. The turtle was getting bored. He could tell that Raph was too, considering that he wasn't signing. The orange masked turtle turned, walking up the stairs. He honestly felt like getting out of the farmhouse and getting some fresh air. Making sure to head to his room upstairs he grabbed his journal with a pen as he headed outside.

He passed by April and Casey who greeted him. He nodded his head at them, waving. He could sense Raph walking behind him to come up to Casey. Mikey could feel his brothers' presence anywhere. It was an advantage to being a ninja, being able to detect and sense a presence. And this definitely helped Mikey since he couldn't actually hear. Though he wished he could.

Mikey sat on a rock, a fair distance away from Raph who was training with Casey. He began to write down in his journal.

**It's been five days since that incident with the boy. I still feel responsible even to this day. Donnie has managed to put up security cameras all over the property, and he and Leo, along with Master Splinter have been converging about exploiting the alien monster's weakness. Leo says it's bound to have one. Though Donnie says that it's too much of a risk. I don't blame Leo though for wanting to try. I am tired too of living like this. All my friends are hiding, we all are hiding. It's just not fair... how this had to happen to everyone, it's not fair that little boy's life got taken away when he could've had much of a life ahead of him.**

A soft hand touched Mikey's knee, jarring him from his thoughts in his journal. _Hey, Mikey,_ April smiled at him. _What are you doing all the way out here?_ She motioned with her hand. _At the end of the property? Make sure you don't go out of sight from any of the surveillance cameras._

 _Needed to think, alone,_ Mikey replied, closing his book.

_It's not like you to think so deeply._

Mikey huffed at this, frowning. Of course, just when he starts thinking suddenly they get all shocked. Considering how he's always been nagged in the past for not thinking clearly. Mikey bit his lip, turning his head aside. April took the chance to sit beside him, none of them saying anything for a full minute.

 _You okay?_ It was a simple question, one that left Mikey trying to keep everything bottled inside.

_I guess..._

_Want to talk about it?_ There was something about April, like she was a sister, a caring one. Of course she and Donnie were in a relationship, so technically she was his sister-law in a way. She had always shown that she cared for Mikey, noticing how he was hiding behind his mask.

 _I don't know..._ Mikey frowned, shaking his head. _I know that boy's death wasn't my fault. But I still feel like it is._

 _It's not, Mikey,_ April touched his hand gently. _Sometimes things happen that we have no control over. It's not your fault. But I can tell that something else is bothering you too._

 _I guess I've always felt out of place. I always felt like I was the useless one in the team. But ever since my accident, it just got worse. Now I feel more useless than ever. I can't do anything. I can't hear!_ Tears welled up in Mikey's eyes, spilled over his cheeks. April wrapped an arm around Mikey, leaning against him.

_You know that Donnie is working on designing a cochlear implant for you right?_

_But what if it doesn't work?_ Mikey sniffled. _And wearing a device just proves how I have a disability. Everyone will see it now... think it weird..._

_It's not, but you know that we care for you. We know how much you really want to hear again. And if this is the only possible way, we'll do it._

Mikey could feel April hugging him tightly. He relaxed into her embrace. He buried his face into her shoulder. After a minute of hugging, she pulled back so he could see her for what she was going to say next.

_Now why don't you come back to the house? You can play softopoly with me, Raph and Casey. Would that cheer you up a bit?_

_Okay..._ Mikey nodded his head, allowing her to help him up. He followed the redhead back to the farmhouse. They headed into the kitchen as Casey and Raph were already seated on the floor with the board game out.

 _Sweet, ya joining too little brother,_ Raph reached over to give Mikey a noogie as he sat down. Mikey grinned at this, as the four of them began to play. It helped to at least take his mind off his recent thoughts. His journal was tucked in his belt and he began to play.

It was all fun and games, until Casey and Raph began to glare at each other. Casey reached over, strangling Raph's hand for taking the property that he wanted to buy. Raph shook his head scowling in disdain.

 _Stop!_ Mikey signed, left palm out as he brought his right over his left. He knew something bad was bound to happen if things got out of hand.

 _Stay out, Mikey!_ Raph signed angrily, shoving his little brother's hand away. Unfortunately, he shoved Mikey a bit forcefully, knocking the turtle off balance as he fell back, his shell hitting the table as several silverware clanged onto the floor. Mikey couldn't hear the clatter, though he imagined the sound having heard it before in the past. But he felt the THUD and the vibration against the wood. Everyone froze in that moment and Mikey felt Raph grip his arm, ripping him away and into his tight embrace.

Leo and Donnie came rushing out from the basement in a silent matter, eyes wide with horror from having heard the clanging noise. Leonardo held up a hand beckoning them to be silent and to not move an inch. No one disobeyed him, waiting and listening as scratching noises could be heard coming from the rooftop.

Splinter appeared behind Leo and Donnie, walking stealthily and silently to the window. He gazed up noticing several critters jumping off the rooftop. He let out a huge sigh of relief, _no sign of the monster. Racoon critters on the roof._

Mikey dared to poke out his head from Raph's tight protective grip, gazing out the window. Sure enough there were two raccoons out scampering across the grass. Until a giant claw snatched them out of nowhere from the bushes and blood spurted the dirt. Mikey gasped, suddenly feeling a hand gripping his mouth to prevent him from screaming out.

 _Don't make a sound, Mikey,_ Leo ordered. He turned once releasing his baby brother. _Now who was the one who made that sound?_

April pointed at Raph, as the hothead folded his arms tightly. He hated having to be lectured by Leo, but this was his fault after all. _Casey was the one who started it!_ Soon the human and Raph were bickering and jabbing fingers at each other.

 _Mikey_ , Donnie placed a hand onto the freckled turtle's shoulder. _I've finally completed my research in creating you a cochlear implant. You want to try it? I still have to finish the device, but the first process is to do surgery._

Mikey didn't know how to feel about that, giving the genius a look. _Surgery?_ He could feel himself stepping away. _You're going to cut me open?_

_It's part of the process, in order for it to work._

_What are you going to do?_ Mikey could feel himself panicking, legs quivering. _Why do you need to cut me open?_

Donnie bit his lip, sighing. He didn't want to quite explain everything, afraid that Mikey would freak out. But perhaps, it would help knowing exactly what Donatello was going to do. _All I am going to do is to insert a metal device inside your head, above the ear. The cochlear implant on the outside of your ear will act like a computer that processes sound and will send it to the receiver machine that's in your head. The receiver will receive the processed sound and convert it into an electrical signal that stimulates the hearing nerve. This is how you will be able to hear. And for this first step, requires surgery._ Upon seeing Mikey's horrified expression, he added. _Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. You'll be asleep and_ _won't_ _wake up until it's over._

 _I don't know..._ Mikey's glassy eyes met Donnie's gaze.

_Since regular hearing aids don't work on you. The cochlear implant is the next advanced technology that could help. You want to hear again don't you?_

_I do..._ Mikey nodded his head. But what if it doesn't work? He wanted to say, but decided not to mention that.

_Just let me know when you're ready, and we will begin the process._

_I'm ready,_ Mikey nodded his head, puffing out his plastron trying to look tough. _I want to go through with the operation now._


	4. The Operation

Mikey's shell hit the soft cot in the basement of Donnie's lab. IVs were attached to his arms, and he could feel something entering his blood stream. He could feel Donnie place a breathing mask over his nose and mouth. It smelled like strawberries, an alluring aroma that suddenly made Mikey sleepy.

 _It'll be okay my son,_ was the last thing he saw from Master Splinter and Donnie touching his arm gently. His other brothers left the room and that's when darkness consumed the youngest turtle. 

Though he woke up later feeling completely disorientated. How long had he been out? Days? Years? He didn't know. There was excruciating pain pounding against the right side of his head. It felt like it was boiling, blood leaking.

 _Take it easy, Mikey._ He could see a blurry purple blob in front of him.

 _D_? The freckled turtle barely had any strength to sign the letter.

 _Don't touch the bandage around your head,_ he added when Mikey felt something wrapped around the side of his head. The orange clad turtle made a tiny groan, only for Donnie to silence him quickly just as it came. _Shhhhh._

 _H.... u.... r... t.... s..._ Mikey signed slowly, extremely weak.

_That's expected. That's why there is a bandage wrapped around your head to prevent it from bleeding out._

Mikey pushed himself up, feeling many pairs of hands grasping him. Since when did Leo and Raph come into the room? He hadn't even noticed them.

_You got to take it easy Mikey. It'll take two weeks for the surgical scar to heal. Then I can take the stitches out. And don't worry, the scar will fade with time._

Nodding his head, Mikey allowed his brothers to help him sit upright. Leo handed handed him a glass of root beer. _Slowly, Mikey,_ he instructed. The freckled terrapin took it, taking gentle sips from the straw. The rootbeer felt good in his mouth, and as much as he wanted to down the whole thing, it even hurt to suck through a simple straw. He was given some soft food, and was told to rest for a bit. Donnie of course told him that he couldn't sleep on the side where the bandage was wrapped. He would have to lie down on his left side until he fully recovered.

_My mask?_

_Sorry, Mikey. You still can't wear it until you're better._ He closed his eyes nodding his head. That was fair. Though he certainly felt horrible, he didn't want to do anything other than lie there.

And that was how it was for two weeks. Mikey wasn't allowed to move too quickly, jump or jostle his head in any way. As for showering, he had to take a bath with someone else touching his head gently, and that was none other than Donnie himself. Mikey wasn't allowed to touch his head, nor do anything that could allow the wound to reopen. After two full weeks, the pain slowly subsided to a dull ache.

His head wasn't pounding anymore. He didn't feel disorientated and his body had regained its energy.

 _It's time,_ Mikey gazed up, to have his entire family surrounding his cot. Donnie reached over to slowly remove the bandage to access the surgical incision on the side of Mikey's head. It wasn't bleeding anymore, the wound wasn't even pink and it was completely closed up. _You can put your mask back on._ He handed his little brother his orange bandana. Mikey took it, grinning as he tied it gently back around his head. The action didn't hurt, and it felt so good to be wearing the cloth again. He got off the cot as Donnie hugged him tightly. _I can take out the stitches in an hour, okay?_

_Okay, D._

_Why don't you help me clean the barn?_ April suggested, knowing fully well that being bedridden for two whole weeks Mikey was bound to get moving to do anything.

 _Yeah boi!_ April smiled at his enthusiasm, guiding him out from the basement to the barn outside. Meanwhile, Donnie began to make adjustments on the cochlear implant device.

 _How's it going, Donnie?_ Leonardo learned over to watch the genius assemble the tiny wires and computer chips.

 _Getting there,_ Donnie replied. Leo nodded his head, he turned to face Master Splinter.

 _We are out of fish,_ Leo told the mutant rat. They certainly had other food, but fish was important too.

_Then we shall go out on a scavenging mission, Leonardo._

_I'll come,_ Raph stepped in.

_All right, we'll be back later, Donnie. Going out to the waterfall to go fishing._

_Okay, come back safe,_ Donnie told them before returning back to his project. Leo and Raph nodded their heads as they left the basement. Just when they were heading out with their backpacks, Mikey ran into them as the youngest exited the barn.

 _You going where?_ Mikey shook one digit of his finger, putting emphasis on 'where?'

_Scavenging mission, going fishing._

_Can I come?_

_Too dangerous,_ Leo shook his head.

 _Come on!_ Mikey pouted. _I want to come!_

 _You still need to rest, Mikey. And besides Donnie will be taking out your stitches and trying your device. You need to stay home for that._ Mikey pouted, huffing. Raph shrugged shoulders as Leo touched his shoulder. _Next time, Mikey._

The orange clad turtle sighed, watching his two eldest brothers leave the property along with Master Splinter. He entered the farmhouse as Casey was sound asleep on the couch in the living room, as for April she entered heading into the kitchen to retrieve a snack.

A hand touched his shoulder jarring Mikey from his attention from the TV. Of course Donnie had deactivated the sound cables so there was no sound at all. Mikey had to watch a show with subtitles on.

_You ready to take the stitches out? And try out the implant?_

_Yes,_ Mikey nodded his fist. He followed Donnie back to his lab, laying down onto the cot.

 _This will hurt, so use this cloth to bite down on so you don't cry out._ A white cloth was placed into Michelangelo's mouth. He closed his eyes, biting down onto it hard as he felt Donnie using some sharp incisors to cut the stitches and remove them. Luckily the cloth worked as not a single sound escaped Mikey's lips.

The sharp tool made one last poke, before Mikey felt himself being turned around. _Finished._ Donnie held out his hands palms facing himself and flicked them out away from him. Mikey sat up on the cot, allowing himself to dangle his legs a bit as Donnie took the implant off his stand. _Ready?_

He nodded in agreement, staying still as Donatello inserted the implant onto the side of his head. It was different than regular implant considering that Mikey didn't actually have an outer ear like a human. So the device was just the outer magnet that instantly connected to the side of Mikey's head, since the receiver inside his head was a magnet. There was a little string attached to the outer magnet that connected to a tiny processor and microphone that Donnie had inserted into the entrance of Michelangelo's inner ear.

Typically a normal implant is supposed to hook around the outer part of the ear. But since you're a mutant turtle and not a human we don't have outer ears.

 _Feels weird,_ Mikey grimaced. _Like I'm part machine!_ He grinned widely. Having a magnet stick itself against your head was a bizarre feeling, but at the same time pretty amazing.

 _You hear anything?_ Donnie questioned, pressing a button on the magnet. Typically this was supposed to be on the professor, but this wasn't a normal implant, so the programming and buttons had to be attached onto the outer magnet.

 _Nothing._ Mikey shook his head. _None. It doesn't work._

 _Hmm, perhaps you'll need time to get used to it and I can make some more adjustments. Like adding certain programs that clear out background noise, onto clear voice mode._ Donnie took off the device as Mikey sighed. Don't worry, I'll get it to work, Mikey.

 _It won't work...._ Mikey watched as Donnie began to get to work on making adjustments onto the device.

_It will, and I'm not giving up until you can hear. Just need to change these programs on this computer's processor._

_Can I go back to watching my show?_

_Of course._ Mikey took the opportunity to leave the basement. He just didn't want to sit around. He didn't want to think about the next time Donnie would rework the device. What if it didn't work again? Even after all these failed attempts. He sighed, swaying himself in front of the TV, his sullen gaze focused on the TV and the captions.


	5. The Scream

_What do you mean, Sensei?_ Leonardo questioned, pulling out his fishing rod, as Raph followed suit. The three of them had arrived at the waterfall, perched on a rock overlooking the stream.

_We are safe from the presence of the creatures around louder and constant sounds of nature. Take this waterfall, the rushing sound of the water for an example. The sound will mask over our voices, as long as it's no louder than the rushing water._

"So we can finally talk!?" Raphael blurted out loud. Splinter grinned at his second eldest son as Leonardo panicked.

_Raph!_

"It's all right, Leonardo," Master Splinter placed a hand onto the blue masked turtle's shoulder. "This is the only place where we can talk. The rushing water drowns out our noises."

"If you say so, Sensei," Leo dared to reply. Keep an tentative gaze around for any sign of those monsters. There were none. They weren't heard. "Whew, we can actually talk."

"Now let's catch some fish, my sons." The three of them followed suit. They threw the strings of the rod over into the water as they waited for bait.

"You know I um," Raph started, thinking about what April told him told her. "April told me something about Mikey."

"Is Michelangelo all right?" Splinter turned to gaze at the crimson masked turtle.

"Well, you know how Donnie told him to journal his feelings. He's been doing it a lot. April confronted him the other day and Mikey told her that he blamed himself for that little boy's death over seven days ago back in town." Leo frowned at this, leaning his elbow onto his knee. "And that Mikey.... feels like he's useless."

"What?" Leo blurted, astonished. "Mikey feels useless?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah I'm shocked too," Raph nodded his head. "There is no way that Mikey is supposed to be feeling like that," he growled, clenching his fist. "He's always joking and goofing around."

"The brightest smile can hide the deepest pain," Master Splinter said. Leo and Raph exchanged worried looks at this.

"April also said that Mikey's feelings of worthlessness only increased since he had his accident, that caused him to go deaf," Raph added, finishing what he heard the redhead tell him.

"It seems that this incident has affected Michelangelo's mind. It must be so difficult to not enjoy life as one used to, and to never speak and hear again."

"We need to talk to him," Leo cranked the rod of his fishing pole as he caught a gigantic salmon. "He needs to know that he's still loved, no matter what."

"Indeed, Leonardo." Once the three of them had caught their respective fishes, placing them into the coolers. They decided to head back. Now they'd have to return to being silent again. The three of them trailing down the ground that was covered with pine.

 _Yame!_ Leo and Raph were both brought to a sudden halt. Master Splinter held out his hand as Leo's eyes widened at the horrifying sight before them. Up against the oak tree was a man who had tears streaming down his face. Down at his feet lay a dead woman, her body disemboweled. Raph tried so hard to not gag, keeping a firm hand on his mouth as Leo was pale as a ghost. The old man turned his horrified expression evident on his face. _Don't._ Master Splinter signed, hoping the human would get the message.

Understanding could be seen in the old man's eyes. _I know._ He replied back, before shaking his head. _But I can't take it anymore._ Leo gripped tightly onto Raph's arm in realization. _I'm dying._

 _No!_ Master Splinter said, only to freeze in alarm.

The old man let out an intentional shrill scream of agony and terror.

 _RUN!_ It was a command from the mutant rat. Leo and Raph obliged, sprinting just as a giant dark body had scooped up the old man, Leonardo didn't need to look behind to know what happened, the sound of flesh tearing through the air was enough. The three of them had ducked behind a tree as Leo could see Raph's wide emerald irises.

 _Shell. Did he just commit suicide by that alien?_ Raph leaned up to try to see whatever left remained of the old man.

 _Don't look, Raphael,_ Splinter pulled him back. _We need to head back to the house. NOW._

_____________________________

_I told you! It doesn't work!_

_Mikey let me turn up the volume._

_No! How many times do I have to tell you?! It doesn't work!_

_Mikey! The clear voice mode isn't activated!_ The freckled turtle sighed, sagging as he felt Donnie press the button on his device.

_This is useless!_

_No it's not,_ Donnie sighed, kneeling down so he was at eye level with his little brother.

_How many times has this failed, D? Every time has failed! It will fail like it always does! Fail! Fail! Just like me!_

_Mikey,_ Donnie grasped his brother's shoulder. _Look at me._ He could see those baby blue eyes shimmering with tears, and Donnie could feel his own tears at seeing how distraught his baby brother was. He hated seeing Mikey like this, this wasn't the Mikey he knew. _Don't you dare call yourself a failure. There is no way you are a failure, you understand?_ He made sure that Mikey was gazing straight into his eyes. _Just because you're deaf doesn't make you a failure._

Mikey bit his lip tightly, gazing away as he didn't bother to reply. _Please,_ Donnie placed a hand onto his knee. _Try it this time. Wear it, and walk around. Get adjusted to it._

 _Fine._ Mikey snapped, signing rather roughly to show how upset he was. He jabbed a thumb harshly to his plastron rather than simply. He brushed Donnie's hand away as he exited the room. He didn't want to bother being around his brother, especially not when he had suddenly snapped and let out his feelings. He wasn't supposed to do that! He wasn't supposed to reveal his true feelings.

Donnie sighed, rubbing the side of his face. This was all too much. All he wanted was to hug his little brother close and allow him to cry, but crying with sound meant death. This was horrible.

 _You okay, D?_ He felt his girlfriend's presence behind him.

 _No,_ Donnie shook his head. _It's Mikey. I am worried about him._ He turned to face April. _I never thought that all this time, with his deafness that he considered himself a failure._

April frowned at this, biting her lip. She remembered telling Raph since he asked about her conversation with Mikey. _Donnie, I need to tell you what Mikey told me the other day..._

Meanwhile, Mikey stormed silently out from the farmhouse. He pressed a button on the device as he still heard nothing. Silence. _Why?! Why?!_ He found himself sulking in the barn. He hated this! He hated how none of this worked! _I really am a failure!_ Mikey signed angrily, tears streaming down her cheeks as he stepped onto the wooden beam that was left on the barn floor. That turned out to be a grave mistake. The sole of his foot had embedded itself into a nail as he couldn't hold back the scream that erupted from his throat.

He knew he made a noise, feeling the intensity of the vibration in the back of his throat. Eyes wide with horror and dread, Mikey jerked out his foot from the nail, whimpering as blood leaked from the puncture wound. Mikey's heart stopped, when the upper window of the barn shattered. He saw the glass flying in every direction and that's when he saw its face.

The jaws opened wide, revealing four-inch long sharp teeth, its head splitting open in multiple parts, blood leaking from its mouth. And then it lunged at him.


	6. Death

Mikey let out a blood curling scream, knowing fully well that it would alert his entire family. His ninja instincts kicked in, hurling his nun-chucks as he whacked the monster in the face. It took time for Michelangelo to stumble out from the barn, wincing and limping with his injured foot. Since he couldn't hear whether the beast was following after him, Mikey had to gaze back.

And sure enough it was, snarling and racing towards him with its long-extended legs. Mikey could feel pain flare up his foot. Out in the distance he could see Donnie flashing the lights of the farmhouse. It was a signal, that they were supposed to do when the aliens were in the property.

Mikey could also see Master Splinter, along with Leo and Raph out in the distance. Raph had abandoned his fishing pack, sprinting with such mad speed across the field, Leonardo hot on his tracks.

Something wet touched Mikey's cheek, he touched it to find it all slimy. With wide horrified eyes as the monster towered above him, slamming its claws onto his wrists, preventing Mikey from using his weapons and legs. The terrapin thrashed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he continued to scream. The monster's jaws opened wide and snapped down at Mikey. The turtle turned his head to the side, eyes clamped shut, awaiting the impending death that would be wrought upon him.

However, Mikey didn't expect to hear a screeching noise. He gasped, clenching a hand over his implant as the noise emitted a high-pitch frequency. He flinched in pain for a moment, at the sudden change from being able to hear nothing to a high sound before opening his mouth in shock at seeing how the monster stumbled back, screeching, yowling. Mikey could actually hear it! The sound was horrid, but the monster was clutching its extended ears, howling as if it was in pain.

This left the orange clad turtle utterly confused. He didn't even hit the monster, all it did was draw itself near him, and he had turned his head, his implant facing the creature. There emitted a high-pitch frequency sound and then the monster was screeching in pain. A green foot then smacked against the monster's face, making it fall against the grass. Raph twirled his sais, as Leo tugged Mikey up in one motion.

 _You hurt!_ Leo immediately noticed the blood leaking from Michelangelo's foot. Mikey jumped, hearing another sound. The sound of explosions, sparks radiating into the air. Leo gazed at him, eyes wide at Mikey's reaction. They both turned to find Donnie on the roof of the farmhouse, setting off fireworks along with April and Casey, hoping to create a distraction for the alien. _You hearing?_ Leo's jaw was open in disbelief. Mikey nodded his head, he saw how Leo nearly lost his composure with crying tears of happiness, but he held it back as the alien roared. They'd all need to get away quickly! Mikey yelped, feeling Leo scoop him up into his arms, and raced toward the silo out in the field of wheat. He needed to get Mikey somewhere safe from being killed. Raph followed him, chasing after the beast as it turned its attention to the fireworks.

 _Holy chalupa..._ Mikey murmured, staring down at the sight before them as Leo got the two of them perched onto the top of the silo. At least they'd be in high ground and away.

 _This day can't be any better can it?_ Leo commented, as he and Mikey stared at the other two creatures that crept out from the woods. Now there were three aliens upon their property. He could see Donnie, Raph and Splinter fighting off the creatures, as April and Casey rushed into the house. _Mikey I need you to stay here,_ Leo pointed.

 _No!_ Mikey shook his head. _I can fight too!_

 _But you're injured, Mikey._ Leo stood up, bracing himself. _If you stay here you'll be safe._

 _Leo!_ Mikey reached out towards his older brother just as he felt a vibration. His eyes widened as the metal of the silo gave away underneath him, causing him to scream as Mikey plunged into the pile of corn. Leo had managed to stab his katana into the side of the silo, preventing himself from falling. Mikey was screaming, sinking into the corn as a hissing noise could be heard. The eldest wrenched his katana from the wall, allowing himself to fall and dive in after Mikey.

The ear-splitting sound of metal tearing could be heard all around them, as Leo managed to find Michelangelo's body buried underneath the corn as the world around them seemed to explode. Leo clutched onto Mikey protectively, shielding him as the two of them crashed against the ground, corn spilling all around them. The silo of the barn had been torn, as Leo lifted his head as one alien snarled above them. It must've destroyed the silo, and found them.

Lunging with fangs bared, Leo clutched tightly onto Mikey, shielding his baby brother with his shell. He felt Mikey cling to him, and a giant claw made contact with both of their arms. Somehow, Mikey had turned his head and Leo tried to force him back down, only to hear the monster screech, pulling itself away. Leo dared to open his eyes, raising his eye ridges as the monster yowled as Mikey clutched onto this left ear, where his implant was.

"AH!" Mikey winced, "I can hear it! It's making a high-pitched sound! Make it go away!"

"Mikey!" Leo's eyes widened in realization, not even bothering to sign. "What's wrong with your implant!?"

"I don't know!" Mikey gasped, keeping one eye closed in pain. "That monster came near me twice and my implant reacted with the noises it made, and I could hear the alien screeching, like it was in pain!" Leo gazed at the monster, watching as it stepped away, howling and clutching the sides of its head.

The leader took this as cue to snatch Mikey as he rushed away from the silo and towards the field where Master Splinter, Raph, Donnie, April and Casey had managed to run away from the other two monsters.

"Sensei!" Mikey screamed, as one giant monster flew through the air, slamming the mutant rat against the ground.

 _Hurry! You must hide_! Master Splinter signed quickly.

"In the party wagon!" Donnie pointed, signifying for them to hide someplace. The six of them leapt into the vehicle.

"SENSEI!" Mikey poked his head out the window, gasping as tears streamed down his cheeks.

 _MIKEY!_ He could feel many pairs of hands tugging him back. The orange clad turtle fought against them, gasping as the vehicle suddenly jostled. Two Death angels landed in front of them, one on top of the party wagon.

 _We're doomed!_ Donnie clutched onto the sides of his head in horror. _We're going to die!_

"Stay away from my sons!" Master Splinter's voice roared over the coolness of the midnight air. The wounded mutant rat stood, using his cane to whack against the dirt, making loud noises. The two aliens all face him, along with the one that Splinter had managed to knock back. "You will not hurt my family! Even if it means I must pay the price!"

 _NO!_ Mikey could feel Donnie clamping a hand over his mouth tightly as the six of them watched in horror as all three of the aliens lunged at Master Splinter at the same time. The mutant rat fought with all he had, impaling one of the monsters. He was knocked onto the ground as flesh could be heard, and blood spraying through the air. Mikey gasped in horror, tears streaming down his cheeks. His three brothers' each wore the same expression of horror, tears glistening in dim light.

Two heads turned, revealing blood littering the dirt and Sensei's deformed dead body lying there. Mikey couldn't take it anymore and screamed, hearing his brothers also gasping loudly.

"NO!" Leo gasped.

"YOU MONSTERS!" Raph roared.

"RAPH! NO!" Donnie tried to push the hothead aside. The six of them screamed as the two monsters lunged directly at them. The party wagon had rolled over as the world began to tumble and spin out of control.


	7. SOUND

Mikey tucked his arms, legs and head into his shell to prevent himself from getting severely damaged from the crushing impact of the party wagon rolling. He could feel his shell slamming against metal, and it did hurt but his shell was sturdy. Once the vehicle had rolled to a complete halt, Mikey poked his head out to find his brothers also tucked in their shells.

April and Casey were groaning, and the side of Casey's head was bleeding. A snarling noise could be heard as the doors of the party wagon were ripped off the hinges. A sai pierced itself into the monster's claw, as it let out a shrieking noise.

 _Everyone out!_ Leo slapped everyone, getting their attention. The six of them rolled out the open window that had been shattered. April used her psychic powers to hold off the monster's momentarily as they rushed into the farmhouse. It was the last resort for hiding.

 _In the basement!_ Donnie beckoned, opening the hatch to the hidden underground room. They had all rushed in, staying silent as rattling noises echoed around them.

 _We should be safe down here,_ Donnie said, holding his breath. The sound of the wooden floorboards creaking above them could be heard. One loose nail fell from the ceiling of the basement and clanged onto the floor.

 _Shell!_ Raph's eyes widened. The basement door was ripped open as one alien snuck down the stairs. The creature hissed, legs smashing the vials that began to shatter upon the floor.

"I got it!" Mikey stood up suddenly much to everyone's surprise as he stepped towards the monster. "Come and get me!"

"Mikey, no!"

"What are you doing?!" The orange clad turtle screamed as the alien lunged at him, only to freeze as that same static sound reverberated. He flinched, watching as the monster's reaction was the same, recoiling away from Mikey.

"Whenever it's close, my implant makes this high-pitched static noise!" Mikey exclaimed, pointing to the device on the right side of his head.

"It's retreating from Mikey?" Raph gasped in shock.

"That's it!" Donnie exclaimed with such exuberance. "That's its weakness! High pitched frequencies! Mikey! Come here!" The orange clad turtle obeyed as the genius turtle took out a speaker, an amplifier. "When it lunges at you put your device next to the amplifier. We need to bring the alien's attention to Mikey!"

"HEY!! OVER HERE!!" Leo stood in front of Mikey, clanging the metal of his katanas together. The beast let go out of its head, snarling at Leo and swiped at him. Leo barely managed to duck out of the way just as Mikey stood in front of the monster, taking off his implant and putting it in front of the speaker. Mikey couldn't hear now that the device was off, but judging from how everyone clamped their hands over their ears there was a high-pitched screeching that was amplified a hundred times louder.

The monster roared, its body shaking, head splitting apart in multiple places to reveal soft flesh underneath, and dull gray-white eyes. Leo took the opportunity to pierce his katana blade directly into the soft flesh of the alien's head, twisting it as it yowled. Leo had impaled it directly into its brain as he jerked out his weapon. Brown blood gushed everywhere as the monster fell with a dull thud against the floor, completely motionless.

"Haha! Of course! That's its weakness and strength!" Donnie laughed gleefully. "It has sensitive hearing! So certain sounds cause it to reveal its weak spots on its body! I can't believe it! We found its weakness!"

Mikey put his implant back on, staring flabbergasted at the dead monster. "Holy chalupa..."

"There's still one more out there!" Leo pointed his bloodied katana up to the floor above them.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Raph smirked, twirling his sais. "Let's kill it!"

"Wait! Guys look!" Donnie pointed to the security cameras. Sure enough there were multiple death angels running through the woods and entering the property towards the farmhouse. "There's more of them!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Raph's smirked widened. "More heads to bust!"

"Brace yourselves ninjas!" Leo got into a fighting stance. "It's time we fight back!"

 _Get the amplifier, Mikey! Keep your implant by it!_ Donnie signed, knowing that Mikey couldn't hear with the device off. The freckled turtle nodded his head as the open basement door was torn even wider. He thrust his implant next to the amplifier just as two aliens barged down the steps. They screeched, as April decided to use her psychic powers to make the sound louder.

Mikey watched in horror at the sight of the freakish beasts yowling, body splitting apart as Leo and Raph attacked both at once, stabbing, piercing and ripping skin apart. The stench of flesh was strong. Leo had cut off one of the monster's head as Raph had pierced the other's neck, and two ghoul-like eyes.

Now there lay three dead bodies in the basement. The head of the beasts open and gushing, bones protruding. The six of them rushed out from the basement, avoiding stepping on flesh of the dead corpses. They exited the farmhouse to be met with a wondrous sight before them. The entire Mighty Mutanimals gang stood out in the field, running towards them. Slash, Leatherhead, Rockwell, Mona Lisa, and Mondo Gecko. Karai was behind them as well with her foot legions.

 _Are you all right?!_ Leatherhead demanded, _we saw all the Death Angels in this region flock to your property._ He reached out to pull Michelangelo into a tight hug.

"We found out their weakness," Leo replied, much to everyone's shock.

 _You can't talk!_ Slash scolded.

"Actually we can now," Donnie grinned as a matter of fact.

"We know how to kill these bastards," Raph twirled his sais for emphasis.

"Their weakness is sound, computer-generated high-pitched frequencies," Donnie said. "And yes we just killed all the Death Angels in this area." Leatherhead released Mikey, as Slash and everyone else for that matter had their mouths hung open. "So it's safe to talk here now."

Mikey adjusted the impact against his ear, grinning as he gazed up at his alligator friend. "I can hear now how cool is that?"

"That is wonderful news, Michelangelo!" Leatherhead reached down to hug his friend once more. Mondo Gecko joined in, the three of them laughing. Upon seeing that nobody was being harmed by talking, Slash let down his guard.

"How??" He questioned.

"All thanks to Mikey," Leo grinned, motioning toward his little brother.

The orange clad turtle blushed in embarrassment when he realized that all eyes were on him. "Yeah, thanks to my implant. And no problemo." Raph chuckled, patting Mikey's head gently.

"We could we do without you, little brother?" Mikey giggled, feeling Raph give him a one- armed hug.

"Is that?...." Karai pointed to the field. "Splinter...?" Sure enough his dead both was still lying there, but looking grotesque from his body being half eaten and torn apart.

The four turtles went silent, as Leo sighed deeply. "April... can you bury him by the oak tree?" Knowing fully well that they didn't want to see the horrible sight of their dead father. The redhead nodded her head, using her psychic powers to lift up whatever remained and bury him in front an oak tree.

"We can have the funeral later..." Leo's voice was low and cracked. "We shouldn't rush it... it's not right... not when... we have a crucial mission to do first." He was trying to contain his emotions. He turned to the party wagon that had toppled over, yet was still in good condition except for the broken doors. "And we need all of your help." He beckoned the Mighty Mutanimals and Karai.

The large group walked towards the van, using all their brute strength to push it upright. As Leo told them that they couldn't just stay here anymore. Donnie ran with April to nab several other amplifiers and returned to rejoin the group. Not everyone could fit in the van, so Slash suggested that his team would get their party vehicle.

"Here's the plan. We've figured out their weakness," Leo said, leaning in the driver's seat. "Mikey is a vital part of this plan."

Baby blue eyes twinkled in the back of the van, grinning as Raph grinned at him. Donnie sat down beside him, with multiple amplifiers, along with April. Casey had managed to grab some bandages to wrap up his head. It wasn't that bad, but he'd be fine.

"We know how to kill them now. We know what we must do. This world has suffered long enough in darkness and silence. It's time we save the world!"

"Aww yeah boi!" Mikey thrust a fist into the air. "BOOYAKASHA!"

With that the Mighty Mutanimals dispersed, running back to their camp, with the Hamato gang following, and Karai with her foot legions. They had a mission to do, and that was to save the world.


	8. Post-Apocalypse

**So many things have-** A three fingered hand paused in his writing. "Transpite?"

"It's transpired, Mikey," Donnie replied.

"Thanks, D!"

 **-transpired.** He continued on writing in his journal. **The battle before us was humongous! We have saved the world multiple times, so it was like none other. But for once, in years the world was finally at peace. We got help from the Mighty Mutanimals and Karai, along with Bishop. Having the Utroms on our side helped a lot. It made it easier to travel the world in locating the rest of the Death Angels until all were killed. Donnie kept track, there were over 500 just inhabiting our planet. They of course came from another world, so we even managed to destroy that portal, so they could no longer come here. It was a huge success! All thanks to my implant! A huge BOOYAKASHA! Thanks to us we even managed to lure Shredder in getting killed by one of the aliens. But now the Earth is finally free from these Death Angels. We don't have to live in hiding or silence anymore. And the best part yet, my implant has started working so I can now hear! It's different since I do have to take it off during the nighttime or when I get wet, so there are times where I can't hear again. But I know how to communicate whenever I can't hear, I can talk and sign. Oh! I forgot to mention that I can legit stop listening to one of my brother's whenever I want. I can turn off my device and stop listening, haha clever.**

**Though my hearing isn't the same as it used to be, I'm slowly starting to accept that this is who I am now. My brothers talked to me about opening up my feelings to them, especially feeling worthless. It was the toughest thing I had ever done. Donnie told me that it needed to be done. Of course, my brothers told me that my deafness didn't make me worthless, and as much as I wanted to believe them at first they told me that they would always be there whenever I started having dark thoughts. They told me to tell them, and it was quite the journey to start opening up. I gotta admit, it really helped, in finding ways to accept myself for how I am now.**

**Although it has been tough since Sensei died, and our family has been grieving. Sensei's spirit visited us one night, telling us that he loved us, and always has, and even said directly to me that I his youngest son, he always knew had the greatest potential out of all of my brothers. He told us that he would always be watching over us, and that it was Leo's duty to be the new sensei. I could tell that it was tough on Leo, at first but we eventually grew accustomed to it. Sensei's funeral was definitely a hard one. I never thought I'd see myself and brothers so distraught. But we know that Sensei is in a better place now. As Master Splinter would say life must move on.**

"You ready, Mikey?" The turtle lifted his head noticing how his brothers surrounded him around Master Splinter's grave. The party wagon was stuffed with all their belongings. It was safe to say that they could finally return back to the Lair. As trashed as the place was, they could eventually rebuild their home again. The farmhouse is a nice place that they'd always visit, but the sewers were their true home.

"Yeah," Mikey nodded his head, closing his notebook as he placed a hand onto Master Splinter's tombstone. It was finally time to say goodbye and return to New York. His brothers gathered around him, kneeling with their heads bowed. Several tears splattered onto the ground, as Donnie adjusted the rose that was laid in front of the grave.

"Love you, Sensei," Leo replied, smiling sadly. He sniffled, wrapping his arms around all three of his brothers. "Come on, it's time to go home." The four of them headed into the party wagon where April and Casey waited. The six of them driving away from the countryside and towards their city.

New York was not the same as they had remembered, it almost seemed in ruins with how many people had abandoned the place. Though seeing people gathering about gave hope that the city would soon one day start thriving again. As usual, the Lair was destroyed and it took weeks to fix everything back to the way it was, much with the help of the Mighty Mutanimals.

Mikey had even found a stray black kitten out in the streets. As much as he missed Ice Cream Kitty dearly, and this cat would certainly no way replace her. It at least gave Mikey a new sense of belonging, having a pet that he could care and love for. He named him Ninja of course, due to his elusive nature.

Once the lair was tidied up back to its original state, Mikey was ushered into Donnie's lab for another audiologist checkup. Donnie stated that it was necessary in checking on how his implant was doing, since it could get damaged or would need some more adjustments. April had moved into the lair, along with Mona and Karai so that was also a new deal. The orange clad turtle sat in a chair as Donnie began testing his implant.

"Too loud," Mikey flinched as the genius had his implant connected to the computer, adjusting and pressing buttons to make certain sounds to his implant. Then came the speech test, where Mikey had to raise his hand whenever he heard a sound, and to repeat after what Donnie would say behind a little screen that covered his mouth. He even did a test with background noise to test how Mikey's clear voice was working.

"90%," Donnie grinned, scribbling notes on paper. "That has certainly improved than last time." The youngest grinned at this, delighted at the news. "Everything is in good condition." Donnie patted the top of Mikey's head fondly.

"Who's ready for some pizza?" Raph's voice boomed from the entrance of the lab.

"Ooh! Ooh! ME!" Mikey twisted himself around, raising his hand excitedly into the air. This earned a chuckle from his genius brother.

"It's pizza time."

"Awww yeah BOI!" Mikey bolted from his chair much to his brother's surprise. He practically barged into the kitchen, surprising, April, Mona, Karai and Leo. Now all of them, including Raph and Donnie gathered around the kitchen counter.

Mikey was the first to nab a slice of pepperoni pizza, gobbling it down. It had been so long since he had pizza! He missed it! And perhaps too much. The others dug in, chatting and chuckling. It certainly would take the world time to recover from the apocalypse, but improvements were taking place. Things were finally returning back to normal, well as normal as it could get anyway, especially for these ninja turtles.

"Man, I cannot express how much I've missed the taste of pizza!" Donnie went in for another slice.

"Tell me about it!" Raph snickered, stuffing his mouth. Mikey could feel Leo's soft hand rubbing the top of his head.

"Love you, Otouto." Mikey's baby blue irises twinkled in awe.

"Awww bro!" He glomped onto the blue masked turtle, tackling him into a hug against the kitchen floor. Mikey yelped as he felt another weight being added against his shell. Raph and Donnie has joined in, the four of them in a giant group hug.

"Don't forget about us," Donnie grinned cheekily.

"Love you dudes!" Mikey squeaked, feeling warm and content in their embrace.

"We love you too, little brother." The freckled turtle grinned gleefully.

 _Love you._ He did the sign, pointing to himself and putting his left arm over his plastron with the right crossed over it. Nothing could be any better than having his brothers still by his side through everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! Let me know what you think.
> 
> Have a fabulous day my fellow readers!

**Author's Note:**

> So how does this look so far? A interesting concept? I also been wanting to do a deaf Mikey story, so here's my chance. He's not exactly permanently deaf. The turtle is just hard of hearing. I thought he would be the good candidate for Regan Abbott. She's one of my favorite characters in the movie: "Quiet Place" because I'm exactly like her. She has to have a device that helps her hear. And I've had feelings that she herself felt in movie as well. So yeah, little fact about me there. Enjoy this story!


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